1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns an integrated child""s seat for a motor vehicle seat, in particular for a motor vehicle seat in the rear region, wherein the child""s seat is displaceable between a folded-in low position and an unfolded raised position, comprising a base portion and a support portion which are pivotably connected together by means of a front and a rear parallelogram arm device, a diagonal strut device which is linearly movably guided with a guide end portion along a guide device provided on the support portion or on the front parallelogram arm device, and a locking device for fixing the support portion in the raised position.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
An integrated child""s seat of that kind is known from DE 44 23 218 A1. In that known child""s seat the diagonal strut device can have an extensible region so that, in the event of a severe deceleration of the vehicle in which the child""s seat is disposed, caused by an accident, the support portion moves forwardly, in particular because of the acceleration forces which act on the respective child sitting on the child""s seat. Due to the extension of the diagonal strut device as a consequence of such accident-induced acceleration forces, the support portion of that known child""s seatxe2x80x94with the seat cushioning provided thereonxe2x80x94will pivot forwardly further than normal, that is to say the depth of the seat becomes greater at the front. This means that a child sitting on the cushioning of the support portion of the child""s seat is accelerated forwardly and downwardly, in the event of the vehicle suffering from severe deceleration due to an accident.
The object of the present invention is to provide an integrated child""s seat of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, in which, in the event of acceleration caused by an accident, the support plate of the child""s seat, which plate is loaded by the weight of a child, is not moved forwardly and downwardly but is moved downwardly, in particular at the rear, in order to cause so-to-speak a downward plunging movement at the rear of the child sitting on the child""s seat.
In accordance with the invention, in an integrated child""s seat of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, that object is attained in that the diagonal strut is pivotably connected with its second end portion which is remote from the guide end portion to the rear parallelogram arm device and that the rear parallelogram arm device has a weak crash location.
When the child""s seat, that is to say the support portion which is provided with cushioning or upholstery of the child""s seat according to the invention is in the raised, unfolded condition in which it is subjected to weight, the rear parallelogram arm device collapses or buckles in the event of a crash, that is to say with correspondingly high acceleration forces at the crash weak location, in which case the diagonal strut device which is fixed, that is to say held fast, by the locking device between the support portion and the front parallelogram arm device and consequently the support portion are displaced downwardly at the rear. The support portion therefore performs a limited movement forwardly and at the same time, with its rear part, a defined movement downwardly. A child sitting on the unfolded child""s seat or the upholstered support portion is therefore not moved forwardly and downwardly but is moved rearwardly in a defined manner, virtually in the manner of a swing, in a downward direction, which is advantageous from points of view related to safety.
In the child""s seat according to the invention, it has proven desirable if the pivotal connection of the diagonal strut device to the rear parallelogram arm device and the weak crash point of the rear parallelogram arm device are disposed in closely adjacent relationship or at least approximately axially align, because then, in the event of a crash in the unfolded raised position of the child""s seat which is subjected to a weight loading or the upholstered support portion of the child""s seat, the situation entails precisely defined bending and movement conditions in terms of the components of the child""s seat, that is to say the parallelogram arm devices, the diagonal strut device and the support portion.
The parallelogram arm devices can be in the form of U-shaped profile elements with a base part and with limb elements which project away laterally from the base part. The U-shaped profile elements can be formed for example by suitably edged sheet metal stamped portions or by sheet metal flat elements which are welded together.
In a design configuration of the above-indicated kind, the limb elements of the rear parallelogram arm device can have openings which are disposed in coincident relationship with each other, to provide the weak crash location. It will be appreciated that the base part of the rear parallelogram arm device may also be provided with at least one suitably positioned opening to define the weak crash location.
In accordance with the invention the locking device with which the upholstered support portion is fixed in the unfolded raised position, for fixing the guide end portion of the diagonal strut device, can be provided in the transitional region between the support portion and the front parallelogram arm device or between the support portion and the front parallelogram arm device.